


Swim or Sink

by FrenchRoast



Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-22
Updated: 2015-07-22
Packaged: 2018-04-10 16:59:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4399991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrenchRoast/pseuds/FrenchRoast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Animorphs are in the middle of a spy mission when something unexpected happens (doesn't it always?).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Swim or Sink

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Talonfeather (Maysun)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maysun/gifts).



My name is Jake, and I was seriously debating whether or not it would be a good move to steal fries from the brunette woman who had just walked away from them. They were just sitting there, out in the open.

 

<Can you believe this lady?> Rachel asked as she winged past me. <She hasn’t touched those fries. And those sandals are at least 3 years out of style.>

 

<Seagulls are the worst,> Tobias chided us from where he flew, much higher than the rest of us since he was still a hawk, and not a seagull. <We’re supposed to be looking for Tom and Chapman, remember? Not unattended junk food.>

 

<Tobias acts all high and mighty, but we all know it’s just that he’d rather have roadkill than someone’s tasty leftovers,> Marco joked. Not his nicest joke, but then, that’s Marco.

 

<I think I see Chapman, Prince Jake,> Ax said with unusually fortunate timing. I was so glad for the subject change I didn’t even remind him to stop calling me prince.

 

<And there’s Tom,> Cassie chimed in. <Over near that picnic table. He’s handing out sandwiches to the other Controllers.>

 

<What kind?> I asked before I could stop the seagull’s curiosity. <Never mind. Tobias, you probably ought to peel off and stay out of sight. The rest of us will go in closer.>

 

<Got it,> Tobias replied. <I’ll try to stay in thought-speak range, and keep an eye out for any new additions to the party.>

 

If you’re wondering why a bunch of kids morphed into seagulls and a hawk were looking for Controllers on the beach, the answer should be obvious--spy mission. I’d heard Tom mention the gathering on the phone. No real details, but something about a “big announcement” from Chapman to the other upper level members of the Sharing.

 

I wanted to know what that big announcement was. The Yeerks had been quieter than usual lately, which didn’t bode well for us.

 

By the time we had situated ourselves relatively close and yet still mostly out of sight, Tom had finished handing out food and drinks to the other Controllers. Cassie and Ax were close to the water, I was settled behind some sea oats growing out of a sand dune, Rachel perched on top of a nearby umbrella belonging to an extremely fit frat guy, Marco...was under the picnic table.

 

<Marco, did you have to get under the picnic table? What if they see you?>

 

<No worries. I’m not near any feet. I’m hiding in the remnants of a sandcastle. Plus, this way I know we won’t miss anything.>

 

If seagulls could sigh, I would have. <Just don’t get caught.>

 

<Shh, Chapman’s about to talk,> Marco shushed me. Not that anyone else could hear us.

 

I looked over at the table. Tom and the others--two men, three women, and a teenage girl roughly Tom’s age--had turned to look at Chapman as they silently chewed their sandwiches.

 

“Visser Three himself has asked me to convey this information to you,” Chapman began. “Our recruitment efforts with the Sharing have been going exceedingly well. So many young people want to make a difference in their world.” Here he stopped to chuckle lightly, relishing the true nature of what those new members had signed on for: life as a Yeerk slave.

 

“With this in mind, it has been decided that the Sharing will expand. We will open a new chapter. A chapter in a new city.”

 

There were audible gasps around the table. Happy gasps.

 

<What does he mean? A new city?> Ax asked.

 

<Nothing good for us,> Rachel replied.

 

<They’re going to shuttle new Controllers back and forth to the Yeerk pool?> Cassie asked.

 

<No,> Marco said. <I think he means the invasion is expanding. As in, they’re going to start infiltrating another city. Probably start another Yeerk pool...if they haven’t already.>

 

<How is this the first time we’re hearing about this?> Cassie wondered. <Expanding is a huge move. They’ve been focused here for at least, what, nearly a decade, maybe more?>

 

<This is bad,> Tobias said. He sounded a little panicky. <Really bad.>

 

<We’ll come up with something to stop it,> I said as reassuringly as possible, given what we’d just heard.

 

<No, not that. Look at the ocean. The water. The lack of water.>

 

I looked. Thankfully, seagull eyes are decent compared to most of our other spy morphs’ eyes. All I could see was wet sand. Far, faaaar in the distance, I could see water. Water that was a lot steeper than I was used to seeing it.

 

<Oh!> Ax exclaimed with glee. <Your oceans DO have _marsoln_ interactions with the shore! I have always wanted to see one as it occurs. >

 

<Mara what?>

 

<I think it’s Andalite for “tsunami,”> Tobias answered. <Because this looks exactly like what my 7th grade science textbook described.

 

By now, Tom and the other controllers had noticed there was something odd happening on the beach. So had some of the other beachgoers. They weren’t really doing anything but staring as the water continued to recede.

 

<We have to get these people out of here,> Cassie said calmly. <Before the water washes back and carries everyone away.>

 

<What do you want us to do? Fly down the beach yelling “run?” I think a seagull talking to people might not have the effect you want,> Marco pointed out.

 

Before anyone could reply, the frat guy under Rachel’s umbrella yelled “TSUNAMI! EVERYONE GET OFF THE BEACH! GET TO HIGH GROUND!” and took off running, trying to get people to get off the beach and to high ground. The non-Controllers seemed to be listening, and then a life guard who’d been dozing caught on and blew his whistle, which really got people moving.

 

<People might not listen, but all we needed was one person,> Rachel said smugly. The dude had left his umbrella behind, and she was still perched atop it. <It probably didn’t hurt that I told him he’d be a hero if he saved people...just so long as he wasn’t stupid enough to say a bird told him what to do.>

 

The Controllers looked perturbed. I know from experience, Controllers hate it when their meetings get interrupted. Apparently they’re even more annoyed when they’re interrupted by something besides Andalite bandits. Chapman was trying to get through his little speech more quickly. He’d clearly decided to stay until he finished.

 

“The new pool is already underway,” he said. “Some of you will be transitioned to it to help start the new chapter. Unfortunately for you two,” Chapman pointed at Tom and the girl, “you won’t be going. But you’ll be promoted within the Sharing, and will help maintain recruiting efforts here. With luck, you’ll get new host bodies and be able to join us soon.”

 

“Sub-visser...I think we should get out of here,” one of the women spoke up. “My host has some rather disturbing memories related to what is happening on the beach right now. It seems we are all in grave danger.”

 

“Yes,” agreed the two men. “It is not safe.”

 

<Finally,> Marco muttered. <I can’t get out from under here until they go.>

 

"The new Kandrona has recently arrived from the home planet, and is in storage until Visser Three gives the go-ahead to place it in the new pool. Since he has begun choosing sub-vissers and others to relocate, it will likely be only a matter of weeks, possibly days before the new pool is ready," Chapman explained, ignoring their suggestion to leave. "There has been no Andalite bandit interference with the project, and at this point there is little they will be able to do. The movement of the new Kandrona is a heavily guarded secret, naturally."

 

<Marco, you might not want to wait any longer,> Tobias said. <The water’s stopped receding. You have a minute, tops.> Cassie and Ax were already aloft.

 

Marco swore. I looked at Tom. _Go, Tom. Get out of there,_ I thought silently. I wanted that Yeerk inside him to die. I didn’t want Tom to be there when the Yeerk died, though.

 

One of the women began to shake--was her host trying to take over? Chapman rolled his eyes slightly at the display. “Go, then. I’ll be in contact with you again once the Kandrona is set up at the new pool.”

 

They all got up from the picnic table, all but Chapman, and began to walk over to the boardwalk. They were moving way too slowly. And Tom hadn’t seen the water roaring towards them. Rachel took off from her perch on the umbrella.

 

<Marco, get out from under there!>

 

<But Chapman’s still here! He’ll know we were spying on him!> The giant wave of water was maybe 50 yards away. The other controllers were on the boardwalk now. Slowly, slowly, Chapman stood up. The water was 25 yards away, and he turned to see the wall of ocean collapsing toward him. He bolted.

 

<Now Marco! Now nowNOW!> Tobias yelled.

 

<Jake!> Cassie called out. <Jake, you too!> And I was up, flying toward the boardwalk. We weren’t the only seagulls. All manner of wildlife and people were streaming inland. The 15 foot wall of ocean was only 10 yards from the picnic table and closing in fast.

 

<I’m stuck!> Marco screamed. <Chapman kicked half the sandcastle over me when he stood up!>

 

<Can anyone get to Marco?> I shouted.

 

<Oh god,> Marco yelled. <I don’t want to die as a seagull! Couldn’t it at least have been gorilla morph?>

 

<Marco, morph! Morph something aquatic!> I yelled as the water pounded into, onto, and through the picnic table he was trapped under. <MARCO!>

 

<Jake! Tom!> Cassie yelled.

 

I swiveled my seagull head away from the beach just in time to see Tom jump onto the roof of an SUV as the ocean water rushed past. He was relatively safe. One less person to worry about. For now. I put Tom out of my mind for the moment. <We’ve got to find Marco!>

 

The beach was still flooded. I watched as the picnic table floated by. The water was too dark and murky to see through.

 

<Come on, let’s find some high ground, demorph, and remorph to something more useful,> Rachel said. <Tobias can keep an eye out for him while we do that.>

 

<Rachel is right, Prince Jake. We’ll be more likely to see him in our bird of prey morphs.>

 

<Help!> came a familiar voice.

 

<Marco!>

 

<He’s alive!>

 

<I don’t know for how long,> he replied. <I went lobster, but I can’t see anything.>

 

<Can you get to the surface?> asked Cassie.

 

<Maybe? There’s a lot of junk in this water. I keep banging into things.>

 

A few seconds later, Tobias shouted <I think I see him! Marco, if that’s you, grab the umbrella floating next to you...yeah, it’s him,> Tobias confirmed. <He’s gonna be too heavy for me to lift out of the water. Rachel, we need your bald eagle.>

 

*******

 

After a daring rescue by Rachel, we regrouped in Cassie’s barn. Half the city was flooded from the tsunami, but Cassie’s place was on the other side of town, thankfully. I hoped the Chee's basement hadn't been compromised, but if it had, they could handle it. We had other things to deal with.

 

“We need to talk about what happened.”

 

“I’m never going near a sandcastle again,” Marco swore.

 

“Not that,” I said. “The tsunami itself. Ax, Tobias, you know the rough size of the Yeerk pool. Could it have been affected by the tsunami?”

 

Tobias nodded. A weird gesture coming from a red-tailed hawk, but one we’d all grown accustomed to. <At least half of the Yeerk pool was covered by the-what the…? Did you guys feel that?>

 

Marco, Rachel, Cassie, and I exchanged glances. “Feel what?”

 

<It was as though the ground vibrated slightly,> Ax said. <Your human senses must not have been affected. Possibly because you only walk on two feet.> Ax likes to blame things on human bipedalism.

 

“Earthquake,” Marco said. “Maybe an aftershock from the one that triggered the tsunami.”

 

We stared at him.

 

“Again, Tobias is not the only one who sometimes paid attention in school," he told us. "How do you think I maintain my solid C-student status? It’s a lot harder these days.”

 

<Jake, if ever there was a time to sneak into the Yeerk pool…> Tobias trailed off momentarily. <The floods had to have wiped out the security on some of those entrances. And they’re going to be so focused on preventing structural damage, we might be able to do some other kind of damage.>

 

<I agree with Tobias. We should attack the Yeerk pool.>

 

“Whoa,” Rachel said. “I’m as gung-ho about kicking Yeerk ass as anyone, but we need a plan. What kind of damage are we doing?”

 

Marco looked shocked. “I didn’t die back there on that beach, did I? Is Rachel really suggesting we _not_ jump into a fight blindly?”

 

“It’s the Yeerk pool,” Rachel shot back. “It’s never as easy as we think it is.”

 

“And we never think it’s easy,” Cassie said.

 

I closed my eyes. Tobias was right, this was a chance we’d probably never get again. But we also had no idea what was happening down there.

 

“Okay. This is what we do. Rescue mission. We go for the humans and the Hork-Bajir in cages. Free as many as we can, hope the humans can get out, tell them to get the hell out of Dodge if they don’t want to end up as Controllers again. Try to get the Hork-Bajir to the nearest wooded area, and eventually to Toby and the other free Hork-Bajir.”

 

“What about what we learned from Chapman today? They’re bringing in a new Kandrona for the new pool soon. It could be there. We need to stop that.”

 

“If the Kandrona’s not there, I’m not sure what we can do about it today,” I pointed out. “We’ll just have to see what the situation is when we’re down there. Even a rescue mission might not be feasible."

 

*********

 

Within ten minutes, we were back in the air, looking for compromised entrances to the Yeerk pool. Turns out, we didn’t really need to look very hard. A massive sinkhole had opened up right near one of the tunnels between the pool and the mall entrances. You couldn’t see anything related to the pool from the ground or from the air, but if you knew what to look for, it was obvious. We flew in with ease. No Gleet Biofilter to worry about, no blending in with the Controllers, no tunneling for days in mole morph.

 

<This is too easy,> Cassie remarked as she demorphed. We were going in with firepower, but attempting to blend in as much as we could. Marco, Cassie, and I would be in our battle morphs, but Tobias and Rachel would be Hork-Bajir, and Ax would be our eyes in his owl morph. If things went sideways, he would demorph out of sight and jump in.

 

<It’s always easier getting in than it is getting out,> Tobias said. <But judging by the Controllers at that meeting of the Sharing, Yeerks don’t know much about tsunamis. They weren’t expecting this any more than we were. Probably less.>

 

<We should remain vigilant,> Ax reminded us. <They will likely expect the Andalite bandits to take advantage of the disaster. I will see what the situation looks like as best I can.> He flew up, silent the way only owls are.

 

I focused on finishing my morph. Everything but my fur was finished, so I looked like a pale, wrinkly, naked giant cat. A second later, the orange and black stripes appeared, and then in one quick “poof”, my fur shot out from my skin.

 

<Jake, I think that’s the weirdest you’ve ever morphed that tiger,> Rachel commented. <That was gross.>

 

<Says my cousin who looked like Edward Scissorhands a couple minutes ago when your blades came in before anything else,” I retorted.

 

<Prince Jake! We need to go quickly!> Ax shouted. <There is only a small contingent of Yeerks walking around, and I saw what I am certain are the components for the new Kandrona! It is unguarded while the bulk of the Controllers work on sealing up the broken entrances!>

 

<Lead the way, Ax-man!  Kandrona first, rescue second,> I told the others as we followed Ax into the Yeerk pool’s main cavern.

 

As we reached it, I heard a large rumble. <What the...another aftershock?> We had reached the edge of the Yeerk pool. Several yards to the right, Ax landed atop one of what looked like a component part to a Kandrona. The Yeerk pool was eerily empty of Controllers, and yet also even more chaotic than normal. The chaos was mostly regulated to the areas at the other end with earthmovers. The sinkhole we’d entered through hadn’t been the only one to appear.

 

Then the rumbling continued. And grew. Chunks of rock began to dislodge from the ceiling of the cavern.

 

<It’s an earthquake!> Marco yelled.

 

Before we could do anything, there was a giant cracking sound, and then a gurgle. Air bubbled up to the top of the Yeerk pool, and then a whirlpool opened up in the left side of the pool. I heard a large SLURRRRP as the Yeerks and the sludgy liquid they swam in began to sink into the whirlpool, like bathwater going down the drain.

 

That was when we realized the Yeerk pool was being swallowed up by the new earthquake. Or second aftershock. Whatever it was, it was sucking up the Yeerk pool's contents quickly. A large crack had opened at one of the far edges of the pool.

 

<Jake! Now’s our chance!> Tobias said as he and Rachel began demorphing. Cassie and Ax were demorphing, too, while Marco was running towards the cages, still in his gorilla morph. Immediately, Rachel went into her elephant morph. <We shove the Kandrona parts into the pool and maybe they get crushed by the earthquake, or fall into the crack! Marco’s doing the rescue. We need your rhino morph!>

 

I demorphed as fast as I could, and didn’t even take a second to breathe in my human form before morphing to rhino. The others were pushing the components in, except for Ax, who had joined Marco by the cages. I couldn’t see very well with the rhino eyes, but I assumed that bluish-tan blur was Ax; if it had been Visser Three, Marco would’ve yelled something by now. I aimed myself towards the largest component, a giant silver cylinder covered in electronic components.

 

<Clear!> Rachel shouted, and the others got out of my way. I connected with the cylinder at the same time as Rachel, and felt it give way. It splashed into the Yeerk pool, which had mostly emptied. It busted into pieces, some of which rolled down into the opening that had sucked up the Yeerk pool. No more than a couple dozen Yeerks were left, squirming in a few small uneven pockets of water that hadn't been consumed by the quake.

 

I had a feeling the Yeerks wouldn’t be expanding to a new city quite as soon as they thought they would.

 

<Now let’s get out of here while we’re ahead,> I ordered. We demorphed and remorphed into birds out of sight, all of us except Marco, who stayed in gorilla morph to lead the two Hork-Bajir he’d managed to free out of the cavern through another unguarded exit. Tobias and Rachel-in-Hork-Bajir morph met him up top and got them to the valley. Cassie and Ax returned to their respective farm and scoop. Marco and I went over to my place to play video games. We had our appearances to keep up.

 

“What have you been up to all day?” Tom asked as we came in through the kitchen. He was standing at the sink. Doing dishes, because it was his turn. “Being lame?”

 

“No, that’s your job. Come on, Marco. Tom’s busy,” I said, trying to sound like I didn’t care. “He’s too cool to play video games with us.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> To my giftee: I really hope you enjoyed this fic!


End file.
